Exploring Washington, NC
Time needed in this town: 1 night or a day trip
Cecille B. DeMille grew up here, Roy Rogers rode a horse through a theatre here, part of the underground railroad is here, and there’s a famous ghost with his own plaque, here. These are just some of the cool and unusual things you will see while exploring this “time capsule” town of Washington, NC.
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included a summary of the history of this stuck-in-time town!
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Where to Stay
Where to Dine & Drink
1906 Bistro & Bourbons
The 1906 Bistro & Bourbon bar is located in what was originally The Savings & Trust Bank, constructed in 1906, during the height of early American cocktails. Today, it serves traditional pub-style food, along with a great whiskey list and cocktail menu.
Angi’s Mexican kitchen
A taste of authentic Mexican home-style cooking.
Backwater Jack’s tiki bar
Serving bar food, drinks, and live music.
Big Belly Deli
Per their site, “We serve chef-created, artisan paninis from around the world. We bring new flavors to the area with rotating specials. We offer fresh, premium ingredients and large portions at competitive prices. Oh yeah, and the very best customer service anywhere!”
Bill’s Hot Dog Stand
Per their site, “Opened in 1928 by Bill Jackson. Hotdogs chips and drinks is all we have ever served. The chili is the original recipe.”
Brandy’s Cocktails & Crepes
As the name suggests, this is what they serve!
Carryout bY Chrislyn
Per their site, “Dinners to Go, Family-Friendly Convenience Foods and Party Platters. Homemade food you will be proud to serve your family so you can spend more time with your family.”
Havens Mill Pizza Co.
A top-rated pizza place.
La Potosina Taco Express
Serving traditional Mexican food.
Mulberry House
They serve Lager, Ale, Pilsner, Kolsch, Amber Ale, IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat, Stout, Porter, and Sour beers. Added to the rotation will be a few seasonal beers, occasional fruit beers, and variants of established brews.
The Bank Bistro
Globally inspired Southern cuisine & craft cocktails served in a converted 19th-century bank.
The Hackney
The Hackney Restaurant, Bar & Distillery opened in 2019. They reside in a beautifully restored 1922 bank building, located in the heart of historic downtown Washington.
The kitchen team is led by Executive Chef Jamie Davis, a 2024 James Beard Finalist for Best Chef South East. He and his team create a Southern eclectic seafood-led menu - a fusion of all the cuisines that have influenced the South: French, Spanish, African, Native American and English.
Two Rivers Alehouse
A local brewery, located on Main St.
Wine & Words Gourmet Shop
Wine & Words was our favorite stop in Washington. They have one of the best selections of international wines I’ve seen and even have some great items for the kitchen and for meals, including fresh meats and cheeses, pastas, sauces, and more.
TIP: Ask to take a bottle into their antique lounge/wine bar (see below) to listen to live music (when available) or to relax.
Things to See & Do
Goose Creek State Park
Located in Beaufort County, 34 miles southeast of Greenville, Goose Creek State Park offers a broad range of coastal experiences, from wetlands along the Pamlico River, to a cypress swamp viewed from a long boardwalk. Remnants of boat piers, a trackless railroad bed, and burnt remains of tar kilns provide a glimpse of the heyday of a lumber industry that was once the center of life in the area. The park's estuarine habitats can be explored on foot or by paddling the Pamlico River.
Lemonade Art Gallery
The Lemonade Art Gallery is a treasure trove of handmade jewelry, watercolors, woodworks, pottery, wall art, photography, and more - all from local artists! They offer classes in watercolor, jewelry-making, scratch board, and pine-straw weaving.
Manifest Antiques and Interiors
A small antique shop that sells all sorts of nostalgic, antique collectibles and furniture.
north carolina estuarium
Opened in 1988, the North Carolina Estuarium is a natural science museum / environmental center, featuring exhibits and artwork. An estuarium is a type of aquarium at an estuary where fresh and saltwater mix - it is the first like it in the world.
Old Beaufort County Courthouse
Built in 1786, and now home to the Beaufort-Hyde-Martin Regional Library, the Old Beaufort County Courthouse is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The original courtroom may be viewed on the second floor, by request, at the lending desk. It contains a portrait of Henry, Duke of Beaufort, the Lord Proprietor for whom the county was named. The library also houses paintings and sketches of historic buildings in Washington, some of which are no longer standing.
FUN FACT: It’s allegedly haunted by the ghost of Reverend George Carawan, who was tried for murder in 1853.
The Turnage Theatre is a historic, circa 1916 theater building that originally had a shoe store on its ground floor and a vaudeville theater upstairs. Later, in 1928, a movie theater for “talkies” was added - it became one of the first in the eastern part of the state.
Later renamed “Turnage Theater” after its owner, C.A. Turnage, it showed movies until it closed in 1979, as commerce moved away from downtown areas all over the country. It sat vacant until the mid-1990’s, when a group, interested in restoring Washington’s downtown to its original luster, formed a committee to look into restoring the Turnage Theater.
The Turnage Theater reopened for business in November 2007 as a performing arts center, as well as for screening movies. The auditorium seats around 465. It only operated four years before the economy took a toll on small towns, resulting in its closure on December 16, 2011. It reopened on January 16, 2013 under new ownership.
FUN FACTS: In the 1930s, Roy Rogers famously rode his horse, Trigger, up the stairs of the theatre. In addition, Henry C. DeMille, a playwright, as well as his son, Cecille B. DeMille also performed at the theatre.
Wander around - take in the architecture
The historical society of Washington is doing an incredible job restoring these beautiful historical buildings that tell a story of how the town expanded over time. From wall murals, to mosaics, to every detail of the façades, it truly is like stepping back in time.
A History Summary
1771 - James Bonner went to the government to seek approval for establishing a town on his plantation, at the head of the Pamlico River. Royal Governor William Tryon was to engrossed with fighting the Regulators to entertain it.
1775 - Washington is said to have been the first town erected in America after the collapse of the British Royal government in North Carolina. Royal Governor Josiah Martin had fled to the safety of the British man-of-war HMS Cruizer on the Cape Fear River, which means he was too engrossed in the preparation for war to give time to erecting a town. The first deeds were issued by Bonner, on his land, by December of that year.
1776 - James Bonner, without the approval of either the last colonial General Assembly or the Provincial Congress, established his town. The town was first known as the “Town at the Forks of the Tar River.” He laid out 30 acres of his farm, with a frontage of about 1,200 feet on the north bank of the Pamlico River, into 60 lots, six streets, and an alley. The six original streets were Water, Main, Second, and Third, paralleling the river, with Market and Bonner streets and Union Alley running north from the river.
1777 - The lots for the courthouse and the church were deeded. Mulberry Tavern was also built around this time, due to the complaints of no good tavern to go to.
1782 - Washington was finally incorporated.
1785-1786 - The court house, prison, pillory, and stocks were all required to be built (and were the following year), due to a law passed in Beaufort County, making Washington the seat of the county. Hotel Lafayette was built shortly after. NOTE: Marquis de Lafayette visited the hotel in 1825, as it was named after him.
1790 - The town was granted a post office and the town was established as a legal port.
1812 - A customs house was established.
1855 - Oakdale Cemetery started.
1863 - 1864 - There was a siege in 1863 where the Confederates tried to take the city back and ultimately failed. As the Federals retreated in 1864, they burned the city to the ground, including most of the churches, homes, downtowns and wharfs. (Note: The county courthouse, as well as a couple of other buildings and homes still remain in-tact to this day).
1900-1910 - Residents rebuilt the town only to see it destroyed again by fire. Much of the downtown area's late Victorian commercial architecture was rebuilt in the decade following and still remains as one of the most intact, historically and architecturally significant commercial downtown areas in eastern North Carolina.
1918 - A vaudeville theatre was opened.
1928 - A movie theatre for “talkies” was opened.
1969 - Washington undertook a major renovation project and witnessed the construction of Stewart Parkway, a road and park running parallel to the waterfront area. This project included the construction of a 1,500 foot long walkway and bulkhead along the Pamlico River designed for both pedestrian and boat traffic.
1978 - The Washington Historic District was established and placed on the National Register of Historic Places, encompassing more than 600 properties in the central business district and residential areas on both sides.
1990s - Today - Large-scale efforts to restore the area continue to happen to make it a thriving, historical town.
FUN FACT: Among the famous citizens and personalities who have called Washington home are film producer Cecil B. DeMille (The Ten Commandments), actor Murray Hamilton (The Graduate, Jaws), journalist Charles Kuralt, U.S. Congressman and first U.S. Comptroller General Lindsay Warren, U.S. Congressman Herbert Bonner, Governor Daniel Fowle, publishing magnate and diplomat Josephus Daniels, pioneering woman physician Susan Dimock, professional basketball player Dominique Wilkins, and CNN News Anchor Carl Rochelle.